


Always and Forever

by Strawmari



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Sharing, F/M, Fluff, Gun Violence, Possible angst sprinkled in here, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:01:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27207040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawmari/pseuds/Strawmari
Summary: Beth wasn't from an ordinary family and Rio wasn't just some guy. // Vampire AU.[ "I was captain of my tennis team so it wouldn't be a fair game"."It's adorable you think that scares me"]
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 24
Kudos: 168





	Always and Forever

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween!
> 
> I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!! ❤🦇

It was easy to fear the unknown but that wasn't the way Beth was raised. She came from a long line of paranormal investigators, it was almost second nature for her to seek them out.

Her grandmother lived in Arizona her whole life. One day, at the age of 30, she decided to pack everything she owned into an old beat up station wagon and move to an off-the-map former ghost town called Hell's Hollow. It was the culmination of her life's work, tracking unexplainable homicides and missing person's reports. The headlines always read the same, animal attack, but that wasn't fooling anyone. 

Greta kept detailed journals of what life was like inside a supernatural hotspot. There were seven in total, all of which were willed to Beth despite both of her parents practicing the craft. Their mother primarily worked with ghosts. Jen would take Beth and Annie along with her to the fog filled cemeteries and abandoned prisons, waiting for a single whisper or word to be spoken. 

Despite what her parents did for a living they had a relatively normal childhood. Annie got suspended for smoking weed behind the school and Beth played tennis all the way up to her senior year. 

Instead of going to college, Annie started working as a cashier at Fine and Frugal, the small convenience store on the corner that sold everything from beef jerky to blood bags. 

Every month vampires were given a punch card with 12 circles, each represented their order of 8 bags which had to last them until the next shipment came through. It was an agreement Carlos reached with an entrusted Detroit blood bank employee who knew the town's secret. Annie never forgot the day she came out of school and saw a man sitting on a bench, casually drinking one. 

They had no reason to hide. It was well established by everyone who lived there that vampires existed and lived amongst them. They walked down the same grocery store isles, went to the same movie theatre and drank at the same bars. And sure, they were cut off from the rest of Michigan, but that was to ensure everyone's safety. 

Beth worked at the library restocking bookshelves and ordering new ones that she personally wanted to read. Most of the visitors were children looking for new bedtime stories so it gave her time to pull Greta's journals out to try and connect the dots.

Even though Beth never got to meet her grandmother, she felt close to her whenever she read the entries.

_October 1, 1946_

_Today our town's first mayoral election was held, a vampire was elected by the name of Carlos Vasquez. They have started to come from all over, seeking refuge but it has the town on edge. Many are rushing to make protection deals in case it goes south, I have also considered this option. - Greta._

_October 5, 1946_

_In a moment of weakness I reached out for protection. Things have only gotten worse for us. A rival coven moved into a neighboring town and three of our own have gone missing. Yesterday our mail carrier was found with his throat ripped out. Since Carlos received many offers, I panicked and offered my first granddaughter to his grandson Rio. Forgive me and may I never have one. - Greta._

_March 8, 1961_

_To my future granddaughter, I know you're wondering if I regretted any of this and in the end, I do not. I've had the privilege of meeting Rio and although I haven't met you, I know he will encourage you, listen to you and make you happy. All my love, Greta._

According to Greta's research he was born in 1875 and originally died in 1911 at the age of 36 following a car accident. Now Beth wasn't a hopeless romantic and the idea of soulmates was rather cliche, but there was something intriguing about it that made her want to see it through. There was a problem though. She went over the town roster a thousand times since accepting the library gig and there were no Rio's listed. It was like he moved away long before she was born.

"Maybe you gotta open his coffin" Annie joked, spreading more cream cheese on her bagel.

"That's getting old".

Annie snorted, "like your boyfriend. Okay that was the last one".

There were newspaper clippings about Rio stored in the back of the journals, giving her some insight into who he was. How he pushed for a playground remodel, won a tennis tournament and encouraged the three immortal children to attend school.

"You're smiling at them again" Annie said, laughing when she dodged a pillow tossed in her direction.

■

The following morning everyone gathered in the town's square, right in front of the gazebo for the mayor's announcement. Since local elections were right around the corner, many assumed it was just him confirming that he was seeking reelection for the 86th year. He was doing a great job and would likely win by another landslide. 

Beth and Annie took the final seats in the front row, overhearing chatter about the recent attack near the woods. It was another out-of-towner. They found the man slumped over a crate in an alleyway. It had everyone on high alert and there was even a curfew in place for 9pm. 

The mayor took to the podium with his full head of grey hair and signature purple shirt with black suspenders. He was tall with broad shoulders, towering over the single microphone. He cleared his throat to get everyone to quiet down.

"First order of business, the curfew will be extended until November 1st. Please follow this until we are able to catch whomever is responsible for the recent attacks".

Annie wasn't necessarily in favor of curfews. She enjoyed a drink or two after work, but at least with it in place Boomer couldn't put her on the graveyard shift. The store closed 3 hours earlier and that gave her time to catch up on the new bachelorette season. Beth couldn't care either way. When she got home from work, she kicked off her boots, poured herself a glass of bourbon and resumed her knitting project. She was currently working on mittens for the oncoming winter.

"Secondly, I will not be running for reelection this year".

There were audible gasps from the crowd, some whipping their heads around to ensure they heard correctly. Carlos held his hands up, trying to calm the crowd as if he hadn't dropped a bombshell. He was a fair leader who treated both humans and supernatural beings as equals. 

The opposition was already flooding the airways with his anti-vampire propaganda, wanting everyone to believe there was more to the attacks than the mayor was letting on. Nathan Smith, or as Annie called him, that giant bag of dicks.

"This town will be in good hands" Carlos reaffirmed, "my grandson will be taking my spot on the ballot and he's looking forward to leading this town into the future".

"Oh shit!" Annie exclaimed, earning a nasty glare from the older woman beside her, "it's the guy".

Beth followed Rio with her eyes all the way to the podium where he took over. He looked just like his photo, dressed head to toe in black with an eagle tattoo on his throat. She convinced herself that he had been staked by hunters, yet there he stood in the flesh, going over his accomplishments and hobbies.

"And startin up tennis lessons for the kids" he finished off, glancing up to meet her eyes.

Beth flushed and looked down at her shoes, not missing the small smile on his face. 

■

She tossed and turned for hours trying to fall asleep. White noise did her no good, sounds of the ocean only made her pee and scrolling through her Facebook page had her missing Ruby a thousand times more. Beth knew that Ruby was happy in Detroit with Stan and their two kids. She visited every summer and winter break they got, asking for her to move back to Hell's Hollow would be selfish. 

Out of habit Beth threw on a red floral robe and stepped outside for a stroll. There was a curfew in place but she wasn't going far, just to the corner by her work and back home.

Beth wasn't too far from her apartment when she heard a twig snap, breaking the silence that surrounded her. The town square was pitch black aside from the 4 dim streetlights. Other than an occasional locust all Beth could hear was her panicked breathing. 

It was a mistake. She knew better.

Beth turned back around only to stop dead in her tracks a few steps later when she saw a hooded figure in front of her. The man was lean and looked to be a couple inches taller than herself.

She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out who it was, "my family knows I'm out here".

"You shouldn't be".

 _Obviously._

But that voice, she remembered hearing it somewhere. Beth stepped closer into the soft light and happened to catch a brief glimpse of a neck tattoo – Rio. "Why? You are".

"It's different. C'mon I'll walk you home".

Beth took a quick glance behind her before accepting his offer. Rio walked beside her on the narrow sidewalk and attempted to slow his strides to match her own, their hands brushing at every other step.

He took on the lead role in the town's night watch, believing that if the vampire struck it'd at least be a fair fight. She knew that alone secured him a couple votes, not that that was the reason he was doing it.

A crow flew overhead, cawing once it landed in the nearby tree. The leaves had all fallen and what once was a colorful orange was now lifeless branches. It really fit into the town's eerie aesthetic.

■

Beth finally broke away for lunch, about a half hour later than she usually took it. She considered the two choices, there was the taco stand set up near the gazebo with limited options, or the deli which would have a longer line but gave free chips and a drink. 

On her way to Mazie's deli, she stopped to watch Rio on the tennis court. He was putting on a clinic against Mick. It wouldn't have caught her eye if Rio wasn't dressed like he was a member of a country club. He had on a white polo and blue sweatpants.

"I give up, man" Mick surrendered, placing his racquet on the bench.

Beth thought she laughed quietly, but that apparently wasn't the case because the next thing she knew Rio was making his way over to her. He placed his hand on the chain link fence, "wanna play?".

"I was captain of my tennis team so it wouldn't be a fair game".

Rio chortled in amusement, "It's adorable you think that scares me".

"Ok" Beth agreed, "how about if I win, you buy me a drink".

"And _when_ I win?".

" _If_ you win, I'll buy you one".

Mick held his tennis racquet out for her to use and she gladly accepted it. She only had an hour for lunch and had no desire to waste time heading all the way back home. Not that it would've taken her more than 10 minutes, one of the perks of living in such a small town.

The scoring went back and forth until Rio accidentally over swung and knocked the ball out of bounds, scoring Beth another point.

"Game point" she said gleefully and tossed the yellow tennis ball in the air, hitting it swiftly over the net. 

It bounced to his right and Rio had no trouble hitting it back with a grunt. On the return Beth ran over to the far corner of the court, giving it just enough force to fall over the net. This time it was out of Rio's reach and the final point went in her favor, securing her the win.

Rio handed his water bottle over to her, the ice cubes clinking against the sides, "7 work for you?".

"Yeah".

Beth took one last sip before passing it and the racquet back to him. There wasn't enough time to grab lunch at the deli, so she settled for a chicken taco that could be eaten at her desk.

■

_September 16th, 2007_

_Been thinkin bout this a lot, how you don't know me and I don't know you. Greta made that deal but I ain't gonna make you do it if you don't wanna. Happy birthday, Elizabeth. -Rio._

The neatly folded letter was tucked back into the journal. It had been placed in her mailbox on her 23rd birthday, not that it mattered, Rio was nowhere to be found and the Ronny that she dated soon after wasn't her mister right.

Beth sat at the far end of the bar and ordered herself a bourbon. She moved her wrist, letting the brown liquid slosh around the glass to ease her nerves. Soon two large hands dropped on the counter as he sort of straddled the stool from behind. The black bracelets on his wrists gave him away.

"Startin early, huh?" He asked her, only to give a small nod to the bartender shortly after to order his usual vodka, "thanks, man".

"Why did you send me a letter and vanish?".

As if he anticipated the question, Rio pushed his hood back so that it was no longer half-on half-off and she could clearly see his face. "I was gonna talk to you here".

"When?".

"Durin your party, 23rd I think, you were with your girls and I sent over–".

"–a bourbon. I remember". The bartender had slid over her drink of choice, but the man who ordered it for her was long gone before she could even thank him. "But you left".

Rio nodded his head slowly, "yea, wasn't gonna ruin your night".

"Annie puked on my shoes afterwards. You would've gotten a yes if you stayed".

"Is that right?".

Beth downed the remainder of her drink and Rio called out to the bartender, "can we get another bourbon?".

■

Annie was waiting for her when she got back home, sitting on the couch with her most pressing question ready the second Beth walked through the door, barely giving her time to drop her keys in the porcelain turtle tray. "So you guys gonna bone?".

"I'm going to bed".

"You deserve to get some, living or undead" Annie joked, ignoring her sister's scowl. 

■

"There are two puncture wounds on her neck but they aren't consistent with the last attack, I think this is a copycat" the coroner informed Carlos, inspecting the latest victim.

There was a blood curdling scream at 4am causing people to rush out of their homes, armed with dull knives and baseball bats. They were too late. Victim number three was in the books, a woman who worked on Rio's campaign. 

■

"Rio is behind the attacks" Nathan yelled into a megaphone the next morning. It was a lot even for him and Beth still was in line for her coffee. It was way too early for this.

"Everyone say it with me, it's time for them to go" he continued screaming nonsense. No one was paying much attention to him, even when he began hitting the gate with a metal pipe. He was the only person who openly had a problem with them.

Beth ordered her ice coffee and handed over a $5 bill. It was the only thing that would help her get through the day. The next eight hours were called book club Monday. Kids came with their parents and teachers to check out as many books or movies as they wanted. It was right up there with the Christmas rush.

"He tried to follow Beth the other night, I saw it out my window. Tell them Beth".

She simply shook her head, lips still wrapped around the paper straw. Nothing Nathan said made any sense and the eye rolls from fellow market goers proved that.

"Don't be scared, I'll protect you" Nathan said as if that would change her story.

Beth's eyebrows lowered in disgust, forming wrinkles on her forehead, "I'm tougher than I look".

That's when she saw Rio across the way, quietly leaning against the gazebo. He must've snuck out a side door of his house to see what the commotion was all about. Beth pivoted on her heel and took five confident strides in his direction, pulling Rio down into a kiss, the condensation from her cup wetting his shirt when wrapped his arm around the small of her back to bring her closer to himself. 

Rio turned them around, pressing her back to the aged wooden beam and looked at her with hooded eyes. "Whaddya doin?".

"Showing Nathan that I _want_ you to follow me".

Rio smirked in amusement, bringing his lips back down to her own. When his hand reached the side of her neck and felt her pulse, he jumped back, rubbing his lower face. 

"Sorry, I–".

"–no, it's… I have to go to work".

■

Once inside the library, Beth tossed what was left of her coffee in the trash and pulled her phone out of her back pocket, opening the text message thread with Ruby. 

B: I did something….

She waited for the gray blurb to appear on the bottom, it took longer than she expected.

R: you know that gives me hives.

B: Rio.

The blurb popped up and then disappeared. When no message came through, Beth began sorting through the returned books that were placed in the drop box over the weekend. A collection of works by Edgar Allen Poe, two copies of To Kill a Mockingbird and five different Clifford books, at least it made restocking the shelves easier for her. 

A ding from her phone made her lay down the book and rush back over to the counter.

R: from the journal? I thought he was dead.

It was a shock to her too. The last time Ruby was back home they went through the diary entries looking for any clues as to where Rio was, and then when they came up short, they collectively decided it was a lost cause.

B: he's running for mayor. I kissed him.

Instantly the blurb appeared again.

R: WHAT? I'll be down Saturday. Does Annie know?

B: not yet….

It was like Annie knew she was being talked about because 20 minutes later her phone blinked blue, a new text message. 

A: I had to hear from Suzy. SUZY! Deets!

Beth shook her head and tucked her phone back into her pocket. She'd have to deal with her sister's constant hounding when they got home from work.

■

"I didn't _actually_ mean bone him".

"Nathan was spreading lies, okay?".

"He always does. He makes Boomer seem like a decent guy" Annie said, grimacing at her last words. Boomer was anything but the good guy. He hit on her and when she denied his advances, she was put on the night shift and forced to clean the men's urinals until they were spotless. It left her hoping the serial vampire would hide out back when Leslie took out the Tuesday trash.

"He called me weak, I'm not weak".

"Fucking asshole" Annie shot up from her seat, "where's he at?".

Beth laughed, "and Ruby's dropping by this weekend".

■

Beth opened Facebook and saw a reshare of Nathan's ad, promising that he would exile vampires and would stop at nothing to win the election. His name was written in wooden stakes and that made her absolutely sick to her stomach. 

With one swift click of the mouse, her old highschool acquaintance was blocked and unfriended, she didn't want to read or hear it.

■

Ruby's return to Hell's Hollow happened to coincide with her least favorite tradition, horror movie in the cemetery night. It went with the overall Halloween theme and it scared the crap out of children, so of course they had to pass it onto the next generation. 

Beth and Annie loved it since they spent most of their childhood playing hide and seek in that very area while their parents worked. Ruby hated being dragged along. It was already creepy enough, but when the fog was low that sent chills down her spine. 

"Homie going?" Ruby asked, tucking her left leg beneath her on the couch to get comfortable. 

"Yeah, later".

■

Ruby placed her chair at the edge of the parking lot, not wanting to go any closer to the stones and Beth laid a navy blanket on the grass beside her, giving a great view of the screen. The movie was projected on the plain white wall of the morgue. This year's showing was a Chucky marathon. They started with Child's play and would end on Seed of Chucky.

"I can't believe you brought me here _again_ ".

Annie laughed loudly, holding out a bag of premade popcorn while her shoulders shook. It was cheese flavored and she kept wiping the dust on her jeans.

A full 18 minutes passed before Rio showed up. He was once again being dragged around by his grandfather to shake hands with everyone. When he reached their section, Carlos gave a hard pat on Rio's shoulder and headed back to the front row. "Yo".

"Hi" Beth replied, "uh, this is Ruby and my sister Annie".

Rio gave them a small head nod and joined Beth on the blanket, sitting close enough that their arms touched. 

He leaned in close, "wasn't expectin to meet the family yet".

"I met yours".

Rio chuckled deeply, "fair enough".

It was hard to enjoy the evening when she felt Ruby and Annie staring at her the entire time. Even texting them to watch the movie instead did no good. During the intermission between the first and second movie, Beth decided to move the blanket down a ways to give them some alone time. Annie reminded her that she brought binoculars because she saw that coming.

Beth rolled her eyes when she came back for her bag of marshmallows, "I hate you guys".

"Mmhmm we hate you too" Ruby replied.

■

Beth soon found herself leaning into Rio's chest, his fingers twirling stray pieces of her hair. He was warm and human like, nothing close to Hollywood's portrayal. 

"He's gonna die". 

She felt Rio chuckle behind her and lower his hand to her arm, rubbing it back and forth to keep her warm. 

The change from fall to winter always sucked and the forecast was already predicting snow next week. It was too early for that.

"Yea? What would you do differently?".

"Not that".

■

When the credits rolled, everyone began packing up their picnic baskets and chairs, all wanting to get back home before the curfew. Everything was going smoothly until an odd sounding weapon fired, triggering memories of the time her Dad bought a crossbow and it misfired in the backyard. It released four times from somewhere in the dark parking lot, sending the crowd into every direction. 

Amidst the chaos, Rio fell to the grass beside her and clutched his chest. He wasn't the only one who got hit, there was a woman sitting against a headstone, crying as a belt was tightly wrapped around her leg.

"Help," Beth cried out, frantically trying to get Rio off of the grass and into his house. Along the way she waved for Annie and Ruby to go ahead, yelling in their general direction that she'd text them in a bit.

It couldn't have been a coincidence that only 48 hours ago Nathan was teasing murder and now Rio was slumped over a chair in his kitchen.

"You gotta…take it out".

Rio's breath was shallow, his hand still on the wound.

Beth began looking through drawers only to find useless kitchen utensils. What did a vampire need salad tongs for? She threw it in the sink and pulled out another drawer, this time finding a pair of pliers.

"I'm gonna kill Nathan myself" she muttered under her breath. It looked to be an 8 inch piece of wood with a point lodged just under his left pec.

With a pair of scissors Beth cut all the way up his shirt until she reached the wound. Rio released a sharp breath at the first pull. He was definitely the target. This was an act of desperation. Nathan knew he couldn't win the mayoral race without cheating. 

"I'm sorry".

"Nah, you good".

If Greta saw into the future, a little heads up would've been nice. Small pieces of shrapnel continued to break off until she was able to grab the remaining portion. "I got it. Wait, why isn't it closing?".

All writers agreed that vampires had special healing powers. It didn't make sense.

"Blood" Rio informed, gesturing with his head toward the refrigerator. 

"There's 1 bag, is that enough?".

He shrugged weakly but still reached out to take it. Beth doubted the blood bank would advance Rio's order and it wasn't like she personally knew the other 19 vampires in town.

She forced herself not to look away when Rio sucked on the tube until the bag was empty. He still looked frail slouching in the chair. It must've not been enough.

Without giving it a second thought Beth brushed the hair off of her neck and straddled his lap, surprising him, "drink".

"Nah, I ain't gonna risk killing you".

"I trust you".

Beth tilted her head to further expose her bare neck and waited for him to make the next move. Her heart was pounding in her chest, pulse throbbing in her neck and it seemed to catch his eye because Rio wet his lips and leaned forward, trailing light kisses from her collarbone to her neck before slowly sinking his fangs into her flesh. 

Unable to stop herself, she scrunched her nose when they sank in deeper. But then he started to suck on her neck and Beth shocked herself by moaning. 

"I need –".

Rio obliged by slipping a hand between their bodies and down the front of her jeans, easily making his way into her panties. His thumb grazed her clit, humming against her neck when Beth began to grind against him. It was euphoric. 

It was also necessary. He needed her to be vocal to ensure that she didn't lose consciousness. It had been far too long since Rio had drank from a vein and if he accidently killed Beth, he'd personally hand Nathan a wooden stake.

"Ah" Beth moaned, momentarily dropping her head to his shoulder. 

Droplets of blood dripped from his chin and onto her chest when he pulled away. It didn't terrify her, not in the slightest, instead Beth continued to move against his hand until she came.

She swiped his bottom lip with her thumb before wiping it on her jeans. 

"I… I.. was that enough? I read about wrists". 

"I'm good. You ain't feelin woozy?".

Beth considered it for a minute and then shook her head. She felt great considering there wasn't a free cookie and juice waiting for her.

"I thought I was gonna lose you" Beth admitted, placing her palm on his healed chest.

"Somethin you should know, ma. I don't always die, but when I do, I don't".

■

Annie and Ruby were watching the late night news, eating some terrible sugary cereal, hoping there was an update on last night's shooting. It also killed time while they waited for Beth to return. 

She had already texted that they both were fine and Rio was healing up, but they were still worried and her walking in 45 minutes later with a blood stained blouse didn't help.

"Is that his blood?" Annie asked, eyes glued to the front of Beth's light pink blouse.

"Um… some".

Ruby's eyes widened, "were you shot, B?".

"No, it's a long story, I'm gonna shower".

Annie kicked her feet up on the side table, blocking the shortcut to the bathroom. Beth could've easily stepped over her legs or went all the way around the couch, but that was too much of a hassle so she decided to come clean, "I let Rio feed, okay?".

"I'm sorry, what?".

"It's not a big deal. His supply was gone, he needed it and I had it".

Annie guffawed loudly, "so no more raisin cave?".

"Could you not?".

That terrible joke made Ruby laugh, maybe it was sleep deprivation. 

■

While Beth was almost certain Nathan was behind the attack, the sheriff found no evidence connecting him to the crime scene. He swore there was an alibi, that he was playing poker with some of his boys at the time of the movie marathon. Since both of them were available, the only mayoral debate would go on as scheduled.

Nathan's microphone turned on, "he wants us to be permanently hooked up to an IV. Ask yourselves, why would he care whether humans lived or died?".

"Elizabeth's human".

"And you're probably sucking the life out of her too".

Rio's jaw visibly rocked, irritated that anyone would make that assumption. He promised Greta that if her granddaughter wanted to be with him, he would treat her with respect and wouldn't take advantage of her. 

He rolled his shoulders, "right, right, cause I'm the problem. Not you shootin blindly in the park and missing".

The feed cut off, subsequently ending the debate. 

Ruby saw Beth briefly touch the side of her neck before scrambling off the couch and out the front door without so much as a goodbye.

■

"If things got bad, would you turn me?" Beth asked, bringing her hands up his chest, over his shoulders and back down his arms.

"Nah. You don't want this life, Elizabeth".

"I want you," she clarified. 

Nathan made it clear that his intention was not only to take back the mayor's mansion, but to rid Hell's Hollow of vampires all together. Luckily his aim was shit the first time he took a shot at Rio, but who knew when their luck would run out. Their odds of surviving increased exponentially if she, herself, was immortal. 

"I'll be turning 37.. and you're 36".

Rio's hands dropped to her hips, letting her get comfortable on his lap, "try 109, darlin".

Beth playfully rolled her eyes and leaned down, running her tongue along the eagles' wing. She wasn't a fan of the whole dying thing, but an eternity with Rio sounded a lot more fun in her current body. 

"How bout this…if you still wanna do this next year, I'll consider it".

"Ok, deal".

Beth squeaked when he suddenly flipped their positions, hovering over her with a proud smile on his face.

"These marks look good on you".

It didn't matter if she waited 2 months or 12, she wasn't going to change her mind.

His tongue glossed over the marks he left earlier in the week.

"Lower" she breathed and Rio answered by gently biting her breast on his way down. He settled between her legs, rubbing her pussy until he slipped two fingers into her wet center, pumping into her while he sucked her clit. 

"Oh, god".

Rio hummed against her, his freehand reaching up to palm her breast, her nipples hardening under his touch.

There really wasn't a reason for her sudden visit. All Beth knew was he shouldn't be alone after the shooting and the debate lies. It was now personal since Nathan decided to drag her into this, targeting their relationship for his hateful agenda. And while Beth didn't believe in soulmates –as Greta called them– she wouldn't have chosen anyone other than Rio to be hers.

Rio pulled back slightly with a pleased smirk on his face when saw Beth grip the sheets, his fingers keeping a steady pace, "come for me, Elizabeth".

He dipped his head back between her thighs, flicking his tongue against her clit while her legs trembled. Beth smacked the headboard. It was all the encouragement Rio needed to keep at it until she was writhing above him.

After Rio licked his fingers clean, she pulled him back up and into a kiss, tasting herself on his tongue. 

Beth lightly grazed her fingernails over the back of Rio's neck as his teeth once again pierced her skin, soft moans escaping her lips when he resumed thrusting in search of their climaxes.

■

For the second time that week Beth had a sliver of gauze taped to her neck. She had gotten so used to the process that alcohol didn't burn when he cleaned the wounds anymore. Rio purposely bit the unblemished side this time around, wanting the right side to heal completely before he touched it again.

"I'm not gonna change my mind".

He shut the lid of the first aid kit, "yea I know, mama".

■

Ruby had to go back to Detroit and she was missed already. When Beth wasn't with Rio they were drinking wine and binge watching Christmas movies, one of the few things they loved about this time of year.

"Results are coming through" Annie yelled, holding the remote out in front of her to raise the volume. 

Several parents who stopped by the library with their kids told Beth that they voted for Rio, and that they hoped it would be another landslide victory for the Vasquez family. She hoped so. Nathan had gained some momentum after he aired Beth's personal business on TV. If she allowed Rio to feed off her, that was between them and his bedroom walls. The town didn't deserve to have a say in it.

A graphic appeared on the screen showing that Rio won the election, securing 60 out of the 70 possible votes. While there were a few people who wouldn't be happy about the end result, they had to know that nothing would change except for Carlos leaving the mansion and retiring in a cabin on the lake.

■

Later that evening, before sundown, they gathered in front of the gazebo as they had done many times before for Rio's acceptance speech. He kept it fairly short, thanking the citizens of Hell's Hollow for their votes and for trusting him to keep them safe. 

"Will Ms. Marks lead beside you?" A high school senior asked for their paper. They hoped it could expand into an official website for Hell's Hollow but that was widely opposed by the elders.

"Elizabeth is gonna help with the tennis court remodel and gettin a kids league set up to play against surrounding cities".

"So you're open to tourism in Hell's Hollow?".

"Yea".

They both enjoyed playing tennis and knew it could open many doors for children. It could give them a sense of belonging, let them share tips and tricks with kids their own ages and maybe lead them to a career path. Plus Beth wanted to kick Rio's ass on the court a few more times. 

At the end of the speech Rio called Beth up to the stage. Annie cheered, clapping loudly whilst sending Ruby clips of the ceremony. She could tell they were shaky but anything was better than missing it completely. 

"Wanna move in with me?".

"Did you change your mind?" she asked even though her _yes_ was etched on her face.

Rio breathed a laugh, pulling her closer to his chest and away from the microphone. He didn't want to openly break the rule on turning humans only 14 minutes into his win. "I'ma ask the council for an exception on your birthday".

"Yeah".

"Yea?".

Beth pushed up on her toes and kissed him, wrapping her hands around his neck so that he wouldn't immediately back away. Exceptions were rarely approved since the council preferred sticking to life or death scenarios, but the fact Rio was willing to try meant a lot to her.

She gently caressed his face with her fingertips, letting that hand come to rest on his chest, "yes".

A single gunshot sounded and everyone saw Nathan drop to his knees on the sidewalk, placing his hands behind his head. 

"Rio… I.." Beth touched her shoulder and pulled her hand away, blood coated all but a small space on her palm. Within seconds she went limp in Rio's arms, her once turquoise sweater slowly turned dark red.

"Beth!" Annie screamed, rushing to the stage.

Cuffs were snapped around Nathan's wrists and he was led away by the sheriff while several people were attempting to call for an ambulance. They relied heavily on Detroit for their medical needs. It had something to do with their total population and how most of their roads were gravel.

"You left me with no choice! You don't belong here" Nathan yelled proudly, content with the glares and cursing from his fellow citizens. 

It would've been easy to snap his neck and make him pay for this, but Rio needed to focus on saving Beth. 

"I don't wanna die this way" she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Elizabeth, look at me. I ain't gonna let that happen".

He continued to apply light pressure to her shoulder, noticing when he lifted her head to place his jacket beneath it that the bullet had gone straight through, likely tearing through muscles and joints. She was losing too much blood and her breath was very shallow.

Beth's eyes fluttered shut, only opening them when Annie lightly tapped her cheek. "The ambulance is coming, baby girl".

Annie happened to glance up at the same time that Rio ripped into his own wrist and she gagged, looking up to the cloudy sky.

"You gotta drink, ma".

All she could muster was a small nod of her head. 

"C'mon, jus' a little" Rio pleaded, holding his wrist closer to her mouth when he didn't feel anything, "I can't lose you".

When the ambulance arrived from Detroit, Rio rode in the back with her against his grandfather's wishes, remembering his promise to Greta.

■

Rio never left her side, in fact Annie peeked inside the room and found him slumped over the bed, his head resting on their intertwined hands.

All they could do was listen to the constant beeping of the various machines while Beth continued to lay motionless in the hospital. Carlos had connections that knew what he was and used them to get Beth a private room. They had green jello and blood bags nearby for her. It wasn't a matter of if she woke but when and what Beth would be when she did.

Rio turned 73 years ago and while he remembered the car accident that caused his grandfather to change him, he couldn't for the life of him to remember how long it took. Beth was already at 6 hours and the monitor still showed a flatline. When he closed his eyes he could remember the sound of her heartbeat, how it pounded in her chest after she took charge and kissed him for the first time. 

Beth's fingers twitched beneath his and he shot upright in the hard chair. "Elizabeth?".

"Ri–" she tried to say, clutching her throat. It was dry, rough like sandpaper. 

Without Beth muttering another word, Rio kissed the back of her hand and reached for her food choices instead of telling Annie. He knew how strong the urges were in the beginning and that Beth wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to her sister.

She swallowed hard, glancing over at Rio when she picked the bag of A positive off her lap. He nodded and helped her tear off the top.

While this was exactly the end result Beth wanted, she would've preferred if it was done on their schedule and that she could've forewarned Ruby and Annie. God, Annie. She must've been terrified. 

Beth hesitantly wrapped her lips around the tip and took a small sip, instantly feeling relief.

■

It came out that Nathan was behind the other murders, all a part of his plan to oust Rio and company from Hell's Hollow. With his confession he was looking at life at FCI Milan and while that was a relief to Beth, knowing that he couldn't harm them anymore, there was a part of her (and she knows Rio felt the same way) that wanted their own revenge.

Beth moved in with Rio shortly after returning to town. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know things had changed. She had to avoid visits from her parents and Annie, and couldn't go to work until her cravings were under control.

Between the severe headaches and reliving her death in nightmares, vampires deserved way more credit than they'd been given.

Reality set in when she received her blood bank card from Fine and Frugal. 

"I'm actually good at this".

Rio nodded in agreement, "fuckin great at it". He would never bring up how she squeezed blood bags like they were juice boxes, it was cute and he didn't want her to be embarrassed about it. 

■

"Do you feel different?" Ruby asked, unable to hide her concern. She freaked out when Annie broke the news to her. When they were younger, back before Beth discovered Greta's box for her, none of this seemed possible.

"No, i'm still me".

"I mean, you died".

"For 6 hours," Beth confirmed, a small laugh escaping her lips afterwards. It wasn't funny and she knew that, she just couldn't help herself.

"And homie didn't leave you?".

Beth smiled, "nope. Greta was right you know, Rio does make me happy".

"So how is it? Good?".

Annie perked up at the subject change, laughing before she even got her comment out, "it killed her, that's how y'know it's good".

"Oh my God, Annie".

■

With their tennis league pitch up for council vote on Thursday and Beth back to work at the library, everything was slowly getting back to normal.

Rio held her close, his bare chest against her back and mumbled "love you" into her shoulder.

"Forever" Beth promised, placing her hand on his own. There was no place else she'd rather be than beside Rio for all of eternity. 

**Author's Note:**

> HUGE thanks to @Moneyraindownonu for reading thru this. 
> 
> & thanks again for reading and for any kudos/comments you leave behind.


End file.
